


Like herding cats - Durin family, kids, fluff and fun

by PadBlack



Series: Like herding cats - Fluff against Bofa-sadness [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Baby!Fili, Durin Family, Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, baby!Kili, fluff against bofa-sadness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-13
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-13 00:39:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 8,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2130525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PadBlack/pseuds/PadBlack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kíli&Fíli-baby/toddler/kids/teens short stories/drabbles full of fluff, fun and cuteness.</p><p>My campaign: Fluff against Bofa-sadness :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fíli's gift

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Ein Sack voll Flöhe - Kids, Fluff und Fun](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1174785) by [PadBlack](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PadBlack/pseuds/PadBlack). 



> Many thanks to DrakkHammer - for the lovely graphics - and ceallaig - for beta-ing my translation.  
> I couldn't have done this without your support and help <3

 

**Fíli's gift**

 

"Dís!" Thorin's voice sounded excited. "Sister, where are you? I need to show you something."

 

Dís came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.

 

"Thorin, what's wrong? Has something happened?"

 

She looked at the flushed face of her brother, who was trying to suppress a grin. The prince walked up to his sister and held out something long, which was wrapped in a cloth.

 

"Here," he said with pride in his voice. "I have a gift for Fíli."

 

Curious, Dís took it from him and began to carefully unwrap it.

 

What emerged were two small, wooden swords, which were in a finely crafted, leather scabbard. The two weapons were, however, arranged so that a hilt was pulled from the bottom and the other had to be pulled from above.

 

Dís carefully pulled out one of the toy swords. It was made of light wood and of course crafted without a sharp blade, but still detailed and skillfully painted.

 

The dwarrowdam was silent for a moment and Thorin began nervously chewing on his lower lip.

 

"Dís? What do you say?" he asked uncertainly. "Will Fíli like his gift?"

 

A loving smile spread on Dís' face as she slightly stretched in height to kiss her brother on the cheek. "It's wonderful, dear. Where did you find it? "

 

Thorin sighed in relief, then he explained: "I have discovered it at a toy maker in the city. He had many other weapons for dwarf children, but this one I liked the most. "

 

Dís put the sword back into its sheath, then she said with a raised eyebrow: "Brother, you know that you're not able to give Fíli his gift, yet?"

 

"What? Why? "Thorin looked at her surprised and wide-eyed.

 

Dís bit her cheek not to laugh out loud. She gave him a playful pat on the head. "Because your nephew only just started to crawl, you big fool," then she gave him another kiss on the cheek and disappeared laughing into the kitchen. 

 

 


	2. Diaper (Fíli)

**Diaper (Fíli)**

 

Thorin was concentrating hard. His forehead was in deep wrinkles. With his tongue he licked automatically over his dry lips.

 

He would make it. He was nearly done. He would prove to Dís that he could do it.

 

Damn, why was this wrong now? Ah, here he had made a mistake. It was a pretty complicated thing with the many little buttons.

 

Hah, done!

 

Proudly Thorin took his nephew off the changing table and held him out to his sister.

 

"See, Dís. Fíli is freshly diapered and still in one piece. "

 

Dís accepted her son and kissed the little boy, who endured the whole procedure surprisingly quietly, on the forehead.

 

"Yes, Thorin, I'll take back everything I said about your qualities as an uncle."

 

With her free hand she patted her big brother's cheek.

 

Thorin grinned.

 

What she didn't tell him was that he’d put Fíli's playsuit on him the wrong way up.

 


	3. Feeding (Fíli)

**Feeding (Fíli)**

 

"Come on Fíli, only one spoonful," Thorin begged.

 

Dís had told him to feed Fíli in the three hours she would be away. Meanwhile, the boy not only got milk. Dís had started to feed him carrots. She had already prepared everything for her brother. He only had to heat the orange mash slightly. Thorin had followed all his sister's instructions. She just forgot to mention that Fíli simply didn't like carrots. To make it even worse Dwalin had arrived and instead of leaving Thorin alone with his task, he had also made himself comfortable at the table and gave teasing comments. The bald-headed warrior was highly amused how his old friend and companion in arms desperately tried to make the mashed carrots tempting to his nephew and feed them to him.

 

Thorin was just about to admit defeat. The carrots were now everywhere: on Fíli's face, on his romper (despite bibs), in his blond curls and also on Thorin's tunic and in his beard. But simply nothing stayed inside the little boy's mouth. Thorin agreed with him secretly, the carrots really didn't tasted that good, but Dís insisted that her son had to eat them.

 

Dwalin laughed openly now. "Thorin, if the others could see you right now," he roared and slapped on his leg. "Honestly, you slay dozens of orcs, but can't manage to feed your nephew?"

 

"You can try it yourself if you think you can do it better," Thorin responded grumpily.

 

He tried again with the spoon, held it in front of Fíli's small mouth and said in a desperate-friendly voice: "Hmm, Fíli, look what I have here for you. It tastes delicious. "

 

But Fíli turned his head to the side.

 

Thorin sighed in agony while Dwalin had another fit of laughter.

 

Then, quite suddenly, Fíli's small hand grabbed the spoon and before Dwalin was aware of it, the orange pulp landed in the middle of his face.

 

Dwalin froze in shock.

 

Little Fíli clapped his hands in delight and now it was Thorin's turn to burst out laughing while Dwalin was wiping his face.

 

"Ugh, I understand now why the little one doesn't want to eat this. It tastes disgusting!"

 


	4. Babysitting

**Babysitting**

 

"Don't worry." Thorin shooed his sister and her husband towards the door. "Fíli and I will get along a few hours without you." With these words he sat his little nephew comfortably in his arms. The baby smiled toothless and made chuckling sounds.

 

"We won't stay away long, no more than two or three hours," Dís' voice sounded a bit tense and nervous. She grabbed Fíli's small hand and gave her son a kiss on the forehead.

 

"Do hurry up!" her husband laughed and pulled her gently by the arm. He and Thorin exchanged a glance and grinned at each other.

 

"Dís, we are just invited to dinner. Your brother can't teach Fíli too much nonsense in the short time. "

 

"Get a move on," Thorin growled then, but then stuck out his tongue at his brother in law.

 

Dís turned back a few times, when they finally went on their way. Thorin stood with Fíli on his arm in the doorway and helped the baby to wave his parents goodbye.

 

. ~ * ~.

 

They could hear the baby's cries from the outside. The next moment Dís let go her husband's hand and stormed into the house.

 

"THORIN!" she called, panicky. "THORIN!"

 

Her brother approached immediately. He held the crying Fíli in his arm. The face of the infant was deep red and his little hands were clenched into fists. Thorin himself was pale, his dark hair tousled, but on his tense face spread infinite relief when he saw his sister. Dís picked up her son and tried to calm the baby.

"What is going on here?" Dís asked in a sharp voice.

 

Thorin cleared his throat, then he began: "I ... I don't know what's wrong. At the beginning Fíli was still peaceful and nice, but when I wanted to lay him down, he started to cry.” The Dwarven Prince ran his hands through his long hair. "I've tried everything, honestly. I've taken him right back up. I thought maybe he's still hungry, but he wasn't. I've carried him around and rocked him but nothing changed. I even sang to him." Thorin grimaced.

 

Fíli had calmed down a little on his mother's arm, but was still crying heartbreakingly. Thorin stood with sloping shoulders in front of his sister, who suddenly started to laugh. He looked at her aghast. His brother in law, who was watching the scene silently from the background, also began to grin.

 

"But the idea to change Fíli's diaper didn't hit you?"


	5. Diaper (Kíli)

**Diaper (Kíli)**

 

"Uncle Thorin, what are you doing?" The nearly seven year old Fíli looked up from his game and watched in fascination as his uncle tried to hold his brother Kíli on a blanket spread on the floor.

 

"I’m diapering your brother as you can see," the dwarf prince replied, slightly breathless. On his forehead were a few drops of sweat.

 

The baby wriggled and squirmed back and forth while Thorin struggled to take off the baby's bodysuit and prevent him from escaping at the same time.

 

Fíli gave a childlike laugh. "But why don't you do it on the changing table like Ama?"

 

"Hmph," Thorin muttered. "You once fell off the changing table ..." he broke off. "No matter, Kíli can't hurt himself here anyway."

 

The baby chuckled and turned at once so unexpectedly that he finally escaped.

 

"Bloody Axe", Thorin cursed automatically. He reached for Kíli’s foot, but the boy was faster. He crawled at Fíli, who was sitting a few feet away on the floor and held out his arms invitingly.

 

Rather than sit up, Thorin decided that he had the best chance to recapture his dark haired nephew, by crawling after him. He stretched out his hand after Kíli, when there was a sharp tearing sound. Thorin froze. The prince felt cautiously at his backside. In his pants gaped a long rip.

 

Fíli, who hold the giggling Kíli on his lap, burst out laughing.


	6. Kíli's first word

**Kíli's first word**

 

Kíli was a bright little boy. He was mostly happy and cheerful. Everyone liked him. But most of all he liked Fíli, his big brother.

It seemed that he learned to crawl extra fast just to follow him wherever he went.

The only thing he didn't want to do was talk. Of course, he vocalized to draw attention to himself and to get what he wanted, usually by waving his arms but otherwise no clear word came across his lips.

Again and again Dís and her husband tried to teach her son "Ada" or "Ama". They repeated it for hours. The little boy was always laughing and chuckling merrily at his parents but he didn't talk at all.

Thorin also tried his luck. Dís' husband laughed at him, because if the boy didn't want to say simple words, he certainly wouldn't be able to say the name of his uncle for years.

The three adults were gathered around Kíli again, who was sitting on his blanket holding his teddy bear in his arms. The boy looked at his parents and his uncle with a childlike serious expression on his face while the adults prompted words at him.

Suddenly the door opened. The blonde Fíli, who had fed the rabbits, rushed inside the living room. Kíli noticed his brother and beamed at him. As Fíli finally perched on the blanket next to him, Kíli burst out a happy "Feeeee!"


	7. Just Fluff

**(Just Fluff)**

 

"Fee ... Feeee?" The little dark-haired boy looked around. On still unsteady legs Kíli waddled across the lawn behind the house where Dís hung her laundry on the line.

"Kíli? What is it, sannidoy? Are you looking for your brother? "

Kíli nodded, his brown curls fell over his forehead.

"Look Ama, for Fee." He proudly stretched his little hand to his mother. He was holding a very smooth and round, white stone. 

Dís crouched beside her youngest and stroked gently with a finger over the stone. "It's beautiful," she praised Kíli, who beamed at her. "Did you find it and want to give it to Fíli?"

"Yeah, for Fee."

"You'll have to wait a little longer, my darling. Your brother has gone to the market with Thorin."

The boy's bright face went sad. "Fee away?" he asked.

Dís smiled and ruffled his hair. "Yes, Fíli is still gone, but he'll be back soon. What do you think, can you help me hang the laundry? "

Kíli frowned, then nodded with a serious facial expression.

Dís rose and stretched out her hand, taking his little one.

Dís let Kíli hand her the clothespins. Kíli grasped with both hands into the bag and held them to her with his closed little fists.

"Thank you, my dear, you're a great help. 

Kíli smiled proudly.

 

Thorin and Fíli returned shortly afterwards. The blond boy was sitting on his uncle's broad shoulders with a wide grin on his face. 

As Kíli noticed them he ran happily toward them. Dís followed her young son at a little distance. 

Once Fíli saw his brother coming near, he started to fidget impatiently, so Thorin has to put his nephew on the ground.

"Fee ... Fee ..." Kíli cried. As his big brother reached him, he held out his arms. "Look Fee, for you." He held out the stone.

Fíli laughed and accepted the gift. "Wow, thank you, Kíli, it's great." He put his arm around his little brother then turned back to Thorin and said. "Look, Uncle Thorin, Kíli gave me a present. 

Thorin squatted in front of his nephews and admired Fíli's stone, while he tried to suppress a grin. 

He exchanged a glance with his sister over the heads of the boys. Dís winked at him. The Dwarven Prince got up and went to his sister to greet her.

Meanwhile Fíli told his little brother what they had seen and experienced at the market, "And then I found this at a toy maker." He pulled a small, colorfully painted wooden horse out of his pocket and Kíli grasped at it immediately. "No," Fíli laughed and held it out of his brother's reach. "That's mine." 

Kíli pouted but then the blond fetched another one, almost identical horse and held it toward the younger. "This is for you." Kíli and Fíli both beamed. 

Dís hugged her brother's waist as she watched her two sons. She had to stretch up a little to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"You spoil them too much." 

Thorin just grinned.

 


	8. The first snow

**The first snow**

 

"Fee ... Fee ... wake up!" Kíli shook his older brother rudely on the shoulder.

"Hmwhathappend?" growled the blond.

"Look! Look! "The dark-haired bounced excitedly up and down the bed and waved his little hand at the window.

With a groan, the blond turned on his back and looked around in surprise. He rubbed his sleepy eyes. It had to be very early in the morning. Amad would have woken them otherwise.

"Fee look, it's white." Kíli hopped still, staring out with wide eyes.

Fíli sat up abruptly. White? Could it be? No, it couldn't.

The blond straightened himself up, but it wasn't enough to see out, so he stood up next to his little brother. He grabbed the collar of Kíli's nightshirt, so the younger one didn't fall out of bed.

Yes, he was right, it was actually white outside. It had snowed.

Fíli grinned. Snow, and just before the Yule.

"Yay," cried the blond and started to jump on the bed like his brother.

"Snow," beamed Fíli. "It snowed."

Kíli clapped his small hands. "Nooooow," repeated the younger.

Suddenly the door of the nursery opened. "What's this noise early in the morning?" asked a sleepy Dís and gave her two sons an indignant look.

"Ama, Ama, it snowed," whooped Fíli.

"Look, Ama, Nooooooow" Kíli chimed.

At the sight of her enthusiastic sons, a smile spread across her face. She stepped toward the bed and took them both up on her arms and kissed them one by one on their foreheads..

"Yes, it actually snowed."

Fíli asked enthusiastically: "Can we go outside right now? Please, Ama?" begged the blond.

Dís shook her head good-naturedly. "No, my dear, it is still much too early" Fíli twisted his face disappointingly and Dís continued. "But later you can play in the snow."

The blond beamed.

Kíli tugged his mother's sleeve. "Ama, what's Noooooow?"


	9. Nightmare

**Nightmare**

 

"And then the last of the surviving orcs fled on their wargs." Dwalin finished his story about a bloody orc raid he and Thorin had successfully thwarted. With a sweeping gesture he struck his right fist into the flat left hand. It made a clapping sound. 

Kíli and Fíli stared at him open-mouthed and eyes wide open for a moment - then they broke out into childish laughter.

Fíli exclaimed enthusiastically, "When I grow up, I will slay the orcs just like Uncle Thorin." He jumped up and made wild thrusts with an imaginary sword.

"And I’ll do it like Mister Dwalin," Kíli piped up. He tried to imitate his big brother, but stumbled over his own feet and would have fallen if Dís had not caught him in time.

"I think that's enough of bloodthirsty stories for today." She glared at Thorin and Dwalin with a reproachful look. "Time for bed, little dwarven warriors."

Kíli wriggled when she pressed a kiss on the cheek. "Buääh, Ama, let me down."

Fíli interjected: "Ama, we don't want to go to bed now. I wanna hear another story from Uncle Thorin and Mister Dwalin ... please. "

 

But Dís did not yield. Despite begging and a few tears Kíli and Fíli lay in their bed shortly afterwards.

Dwalin and Thorin sat at the kitchen table, each with a jug of mead in front of them.

Dís herself retired to the living room. She had enough of boastful war stories for one day.

 

Out of habit she glanced into her sons’ room before she went to bed. Dís wasn't really surprised when she noticed that the two were not asleep, but whispering in a low voice to each other. With a candle in her hand, she walked into the nursery. "Well, why aren’t you asleep yet?" she asked sternly.

"Kíli is afraid of the warg under the bed," came Filis quavering response after a short while.

Dís moved closer to the bed of her boys. In the candlelight, she saw that Kíli had pulled the blanket up to his nose. Only his big brown eyes were visible. Fíli was snuggled against him. He looked no less scared than his younger brother, even though he tried to hide it. Dís sat on the edge of the bed and put the candle on the bedside table.  
She stroked her sons lovingly on their heads.

"So you think that an evil warg is hiding under your bed?"

Both boys nodded.

"Hm,” Dís mused, “Then we'd better get Thorin and Dwalin, so they could dislodge the beast, don't you think?”

Kíli and Fíli nodded even more vigorously.

 

With each of the boys on one of her arms, Dís entered the kitchen. Dwalin and Thorin looked up in surprise.

"I have a task for the two great warriors sitting in my kitchen," she said with a scowl at her brother and his best friend.

Kíli and Fíli clung to their mother.

"I think you overlooked a warg in your great battle and it's now hiding under the bed of my sons." Dís' gaze didn't bode well.

Thorin understood first. He stood up. "Come on Dwal, get your ax, we’ll go hunting."

Shortly thereafter, Dwalin with his ax and Thorin with a drawn sword entered the boys' room. Dís followed with her sons in her arms.

Dwalin and Thorin made a big roar about killing the evil warg and kept thrusting with their weapons under the boy's bed. Then they announced the beast had fled and would certainly not come back.

Kíli and Fíli were now convinced and went back to bed without arguments.

 

As Dís closed the boy's door behind her, Dwalin and Thorin still stood grinning broadly on the stairs and congratulated themselves to the successful expulsion of the beast.

Dís stepped towards them and with a quick movement she grabbed one ear of each Dwarf with a firm grip, pulling them down the stairs back to the kitchen.

Dís closed the door with one foot, letting her brother and Dwalin go, then she planted herself in front of them, her hands on her hips.

"If I catch you again telling my sons bloodthirsty stories it will come to a bloody end for both of you. Do you understand me?"

Dwalin and Thorin stood with their heads hanging like drowned rats in front of the angry woman and nodded resignedly.


	10. Bedtime story

**Bedtime story**

 

Dís had a stressful day. She rubbed her tired eyes and looked pleadingly at her brother.

"Thorin, would you be so kind and tuck the boys into bed just for once – please?"

This was immediately followed by an enthusiastic "Yes!" from said boys. Kíli was bouncing excitedly up and down and Fíli shouted, "Will you read us a story?” “Please??" two voices joined in unison.

Thorin suppressed a grin at so much enthusiasm and then said with feigned grumpiness, "Ooooooookay."

"Yay!" his nephews screamed delighted. Dís shook her head in amusement, then said sternly, "But just one, then you have to sleep. Do you understand?"

"Yes, amad," Her sons' answer came, unexpectedly polite.

Dís raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Well, then, wish your mother a good night," Thorin told Fíli and Kíli.

Both boys went to Dís, each pecked her on one cheek and murmured, "Night, Amad".

"Good night, you two," she smiled.

"Now, let's go," Thorin grabbed his nephews and laid them over his shoulders, to carry them up to their room. The boys squealed with joy.

 

. ~ * ~.

 

Dís was awakened by the loud cracking of one of the logs in the fireplace. She looked frowning around the room. Thorin wasn't back yet? She must have slept for a while. The candles were nearly burned down. Thorin certainly would have woken her up before he had retired to his room. Was he still reading to the boys?

Dís sighed as she rose and shook her head - smiling. The boys could wrap their uncle much too easy around their little fingers.

The boys still had the light on in their room, Dís noticed. However, there was nothing to hear, neither Thorin, who read, nor Kíli's or Fíli's voice. The dwarrowdam entered the room quietly. She smiled at the sight in front of her. Thorin lay there, the open book on his chest. Kíli had snuggled up to him, while Fíli hugged his little brother. All three of them were fast asleep.

Dís took the book off Thorin's breast and put it on the bedside table. She pulled the askew blanket up and stuck it tightly around her sons. Then she spread an additional one over her brother, too.

She blew out the candle, before she left the room.


	11. Childhood disease

**Childhood disease**

 

Loud hammering sounded from the forge.

Thorin was covered with sweat as he worked on a piece of metal. Dwalin sat with him, giving teasing comments every now and then, answered grumpily by Thorin.

During the break between two hammer blows, a child's voice suddenly called.

"Uncle Thorin!" Fíli sounded breathless.

Thorin winced, missed the piece of metal accidentally and hit the anvil instead. Surprised he turned around to his nephew and finally noticed Kíli, too, who looked peaky. The boy hung on his older brother's arm and was very pale except of a few red spots on the face.

"Fíli, what wrong with your brother?" Thorin asked, alarmed. He immediately put the work aside and bent down to his nephews. Dwalin had risen, too.

While Kíli coughed dryly, Fíli reported: "Mr. Balin had sent us all home. Four of the other children are the same as Kíli. They have fever, cough and some red spots." The blond looked worriedly at his uncle.

Thorin sighed. Now what? His sister wasn't actually here and he had to take care of the boys while she was away.

"Come on," He stroked first Kíli then Fíli soothingly over their heads. "We can fix this in no time. I have to finish my work today but Dwalin,” Thorin looked pleadingly at his old friend, "will take you home where Kíli can lay down and I'll see that Oin will have a look at him soon - Okay?"

Fíli glanced at Dwalin, who winked at him encouragingly, then he turned his gaze back to Thorin and nodded seriously. "Yes, Uncle."

 

. ~ * ~.

 

"Yeah, I thought so, it's stone pox, just like the other kids" Oin told the worried Thorin. "You can't do much. I'll give you some medicine that will reduce the fever. You should also make the boy some leg compress. Make him this tea to ease the cough." The healer put a small bag on the table. "Otherwise, the best medicine is sleep. Kíli will soon be back on his feet. Oh, and Fíli will probably have the same symptoms tomorrow at the latest. But this is normal in children. They catch it fast from each other. You already had stone pox as a child, Thorin, didn't you?"

The Dwarven Prince nodded absently. He had currently a lot of work at the forge, but he could delay it if necessary. His nephews were first priority, especially because Dís would still be away the next few days. Maybe he could ask Dwalin to take over a part of his orders.

 

. ~ * ~.

 

As Oin had predicted Fíli was feverish the next morning, too. Thorin was constantly running between the kitchen, the boys' room and the well in front of the house to fetch cold water for the leg compress.

During mid morning Dwalin appeared with a sullen expression on his face.

"What's going on?" the dwarven prince asked.

Dwalin sighed, "Balin has just told me that I didn't have stone pox as a kid and as I was with the boys most of the day yesterday I'm probably already infected."

Thorin tried to hold back a grin, which earned him a dirty look from the bald man.

"My smart brother said since I’ll get sick anyway, I should take care of your nephews, so you can go and work at the forge."

Now Thorin's grin grew even wider.

"This is a great idea. I'll explain you everything you have to do." He slapped his old friend on the shoulder. "But I'm warning you, if something happens to the boys, Dís will have your head – and mine, too."

Dwalin rolled his eyes, irritated.

 

. ~ * ~.

 

When Dís returned three days later, Kíli and Fíli had already recovered enough to misbehave for Dwalin, who was still taking care of them.

Thorin hugged his sister, overjoyed when he entered the cottage in the evening. He wasn't feeling well, had a headache and had been inattentive all day long.

Dwalin was sitting in the kitchen, a steaming cup of tea in front of him. Thorin sank down in a chair beside him and rubbed his aching forehead.

Dís scrutinized her brother, then she gazed at Dwalin and said, "You two should lie down. Dwalin, I'll make you a bed, then I'll cook you some broth and then off to bed with you."

Thorin looked aghast at his sister: "Dís, how could you talk to us as if you were our mother?"

"Yes, exactly," Dwalin agreed indignantly with his friend.

Dís mockingly raised an eyebrow. "Because you two have been infected by the boys. I am infinitely grateful that you have looked after my sons so well, but now I have two big boys to nurse."

Thorin burst out, "Nonsense, I mean, well, Dwalin has caught it, but I had stone pox as a child."

Dís interrupted him, shaking her head and a grin spread across her face. "No, my dear, Frerin and I had the stone pox as children. You were with the Fundins at that time so you haven't been infected. Now, off you go – bed – and no arguments."

Sighing - Thorin and Dwalin went, resigned to their fate.


	12. Surprise

**Surprise**

 

Dís watched suspiciously as her sons huddled together and whispered to each other.

Frowning, she turned to her brother. "Thorin, be so kind and keep an eye on the boys while I'm away. I can't escape the feeling that the two are up to something again. "

An innocent smile appeared on Thorin's face. "Sure I will. Don't worry, sister."

He gave her a kiss on the forehead and pushed her gently towards the door.

After Thorin had closed the door behind his sister, he turned around to his nephews and grinned. "The coast is clear. Your mother is gone. Go on, off with you to the kitchen. "

 

. ~ * ~.

 

A few hours later Dís returned back home. She was hungry and tired and hoped that her brother and her sons had left something to eat. But more she hoped that they hadn't burned down the house.

All was quiet as she stepped into the hallway. Dís was undecided. Should she first go to the living room and check to see if everything is in order or just vanish into the kitchen and finally find something to eat?

She decided on the living room.

Dís hadn't entered the room yet as she was already faced by three figures: her sons and her brother.

Kíli and Fíli chorused: "Happy name day, amad!"

The boys hugged their mother. Thorin was obviously hiding something behind his back, a broad grin on his face. "Happy name day, namadith" He kisses her on the cheek.

Then he offered her a carefully wrapped soft package.

"For me?" Dís was honestly surprised. She had completely forgotten her special day.

The four entered the living room and the dwarrowdam noticed an obviously homemade cake on the table.

“Oh, did you made that, too?” Three proud nods. “It looks delicious.”

“Have a look at your gift, amad,” Fíli urged.

“I will, love” Dís smiled and unwrapped her present instantly: a beautiful bag made of soft leather and decorated with delicate runes.

“Fee and I had the idea for your present, amad, and uncle had it made.” Kíli said proudly.

Dís embraced her sons and brother. “Thank you, my dears. It's beautiful.”

“And now, let's eat some cake” Thorin suggested with a smile.

Dís laughed. “Best idea ever, big brother, I'm starving. But first I should make some tea, don't you think?”

Thorin and the boys nodded, but then Kíli and Fíli startled first and shortly afterwards Thorin, too. "No, no tea," The three almost panicked.

“What? Why not?” Dís was confused.

“Eeeh, we haven't got any left,” Thorin tried lamely.

Dís lifted an eyebrow. “I'm absolutely sure there was an almost full can left in the morning.” The dwarrowdam tried to head straight into the kitchen.

“Amad, please, no!” Kíli pleaded.

“What have you done to my kitchen?” Dís asked sternly. She didn't wait for an answer and finally entered her sanctuary.

She stopped dead: the kitchen looked like a battlefield.

For a long moment it was quite you could hear a pin drop.

When Dís finally turned, she looked at the three standing there, heads hanging.

Then the dwarrowdam started to laugh about her brother's and sons' contrite expressions.

"How about this? I’ll make some tea, while you clean up the kitchen?" she asked cheerfully.


	13. Cake (1)

**Cake (1)**

 

"It's too high." Kíli stretched out his arm, but even though he was already standing on tiptoe, he couldn't reach the windowsill of the kitchen from the outside. Fíli rolled his eyes at his sometimes really slow-witted brother.

 

"I told you, we need to leg-up. Here, interlace your fingers, so I can get up."

 

"Why do I always have to make the leg-up?" Kíli pouted.

 

"Because I'm the older one and say so, you troll," Fíli slapped his brother on the back of his head. Kíli stuck out his tongue at the blond, but did what he demanded.

 

"UMPF, you're too heavy," the dark-haired complained.

 

"Don't be pathetic, I won't be long." In the next moment Fíli was already on the ground again and showed proudly his prize to his brother.

 

The two boys grinned at each other.

 

Dís had baked small, filled cakes today, which weren’t supposed to be eaten until tomorrow.

 

But the smell that filled the house had been so tempting that the boys had thought it wouldn't be noticed if two of the cakes were missing. They really needed to taste them.

 

Fíli had called it "quality control" while trying to look as serious as their uncle Thorin.

 

The cakes were still warm. Dís had left them to cool in the open kitchen window. As the boys didn't wanted to get caught - just in case - they had planned the raid from outside the house.

 

Fíli and Kíli bite simultaneously into their cakes.

 

"Hmmmm," Kíli sighed appreciatively.

 

"Yummy, apple," Fíli confirmed.

 

"What? I've got pumpkin. Oh, please let me try yours," Kíli begged.

 

"No way! You've your own." Fíli shoved the last piece of his cake into his mouth.

 

"Man,” Kíli grumbled softly, then finished his piece, too.

 

"I didn't know amad baked different sorts of cakes." Fíli said surprised. He mused, wrinkling his brow. "Hm, I think it wouldn't be noticed if we try two more, what do you think, Kee?" He grinned at Kíli, who nodded enthusiastically.

 

"But this time, you make the leg-up." insisted the dark-haired.

 

The next two cakes were filled with plums and berries and the brothers agreed soon that there was perhaps even more variety.

 

In a short time each of them had exterminated five of the still-warm cakes.

 

 

"Fíli, I think I feel a bit sick." Kíli grimaced and rubbed his belly.

 

"You've eaten too much and too fast, as always," sneered the blond, but as Kíli further softly moaned, he brought him a cup of cold well water. Fíli also drank greedily. He didn't wanted to show any weakness in front of Kíli -- after all he was the older one -- but his stomach twinged a bit, too.

 

 

Half an hour later Dís called her sons in for dinner. Fíli and Kíli crept with hanging heads and greenish faces into the house.

 

"What happened to you?" the dwarrowdam asked the boys, alarmed.

 

Kíli pressed one hand to his mouth and the other to his stomach. Fíli tried to explain: "We feel a bit queasy."

 

"What? From what? "

 

"Well," Fíli hemmed and hawed. "We both drank from the well."

 

The next moment Kíli made a strangled sound and rushed outside. He threw up in a bush. Fíli followed him only seconds later.

 

 

Dís, concerned, tucked her sons into their bed after their stomachs were empty. She went downstairs to make them some soothing tea and then to inform Thorin that possibly something was wrong with the well water. Maybe there was a dead animal inside? Right now, it was too dark to detect anything.

 

As Dís entered the kitchen, her eyes went to the tray she’d placed the cakes on it at the still open window....


	14. Cake (2)

**Cake (2)**

 

 

"Amad? What happened? "Fíli asked worried.

 

"You know perfectly well what I mean." The dwarrowdam snapped.

 

Fíli shook his head slowly and raised his eyebrows. "No."

 

"If you think you can fool me again, you are wrong." Dís hissed, even more upset by the apparent refusal of her son to confess the obvious act. Fíli and Kíli exchanged a puzzled glance.

 

"I'd already told you the first time, if you ever lay hands on my cakes, you will be punished severely."

 

"But Amad!" Kíli began, but Dís didn't let him get a word. "Alright! You asked for it! Dessert is canceled for the next half year. You are grounded for a month! That means: no more strolling around in the forest or the village after your lessons and I'll leave the decision about further penalties to Thorin. We'll see what he thinks about his nephews being brazen thieves and liars." Dís grabbed her sons – both of them still staring at her with a shocked expression on their faces - each by an arm and dragged them along behind her, out into the corridor in the direction of Thorin's room.

 

"Thorin, we must talk immediately!" Dís knocked vigorously at her brother's door. Without any invitation, the dwarrowdam walked into the room, shoving her sons in front of her.

 

"It's about your nephews," Dís stopped abruptly.

 

Thorin and Dwalin sat at the small table that Thorin usually used as a desk. Now, however, there was a plate of small cakes on it.

 

Dwalin froze, mouth open and a cake in his hand. Thorin licked his fingers appreciatively, then blushed like a schoolboy caught in the act.


	15. The haunted mine

**The haunted mine**

 

"And then cold finger grasped for his neck," Fíli finished the story. The lamp on the ground threw ghostly shadows on his face.

 

Ori sat there wide-eyed. He hunched his shoulders, shuddering under his blanket.

 

Since Dori would be gone overnight and Nori was almost never at home anyway, Dís had offered to let the boy stay with her. Fíli and Kíli were happy about the visit, as they very much liked the shy little Ori.

 

The three boys had spent the evening telling each other scary stories. They sat on the floor in Fíli's and Kíli's room, each of them wrapped in a warm blanket, between them a plate of cookies and a lamp whose flickering light didn't reach into the corners of the room. With a lot of imagination one could think that there were hidden monsters in the shadows just waiting to pounce on the boys.

 

"Fíli, Kíli, Ori, time for bed," Dís' voice came from below.

 

"Oh, not yet, Ama," the brothers complained in unison, however Ori stifled a yawn.

 

Dís refused to negotiate with them and shortly afterwards the three boys laid in bed. The bed of the brothers was wide enough, so there was still enough space for Ori, too.

 

The three were whispering to each other for a while until they fell asleep one by one.

 

~ * ~

 

Ori slept fitfully. He dreamed of ghoulish figures who chased after him and eerie voices howled softly and seemed to call for him. When finally something cold touched his face, the boy woke up with a horrified scream.

 

Through the window shined faint moonlight, which was just enough to recognize a ghostly white figure. She seemed to float in space and made dreadful howling sounds. Ori was terribly frightened and pulled the blanket up over his head immediately. He was trembling all over.

 

Then he suddenly heard a giggle. The blanket was torn from his head. Fíli and Kíli grinned at the frightened boy. They had a white bed sheet in their hand.

 

"Hehehe, Ori, did we scare you? Were you afraid? It's just us. "

 

Ori didn't answer. Of course, he was relieved that it was only the brothers, but he secretly resented their prank.

 

Fíli and Kíli chuckled a while to themselves after crawling back into bed.

 

It took Ori a long time to fall asleep again.

 

~ * ~

 

A few days later ...

 

"Fíli, Kíli, I must tell you something." Ori came running for the brothers.

 

Said boys turned around curiously. The younger one stopped in front of the two. It took a few moments until he caught his breath again.

 

"Well Ori, what is it?" Fíli asked gently.

 

Ori began: "I've heard something – by accident - really – it wasn't intentional."

 

"What?" Kíli interrupted impatiently.

 

Ori looked over his shoulder, as if to make sure no one else was listening. Then he lowered his voice to a whisper: "Nori just came home unexpectedly again. He and Dori talked quietly in the kitchen. They didn't notice me, but I heard every single word. "

 

Ori seemed to make it extra-exciting, until he finally came to the point. Kíli and Fíli fidgeted quite impatiently.

 

"Nori said that he had heard that one of the old mines is haunted."

 

The brothers stared wide-eyed at the young one.

 

"For real?"

 

Ori nodded seriously. "Honestly, Nori would never lie about something like that."

 

"And who or what is there haunting, Ori?" Fíli asked frowning.

 

"Hm, it seems to be the ghost of an old dwarf, who had died accidentally in the mine. Or he may have been murdered and can't find peace now. Some of the miners have heard an eerie moan. Others said something about red-hot eyes glowing in the dark. "Ori gulped at this creepy idea.

 

"Anyway, they’re now considering closing the mine. But some say one should try to find the spirit and expel him. "

 

Kíli and Fíli looked at each other. The brothers thought the same thing: a real ghost? This is so exciting.

 

Both grinned broadly.

 

Fíli put an arm around Ori's shoulders. "What do you think Ori, if we have a look at the ghost ourselves?"

 

The boy stared aghast at the blond prince – eyes wide open.

 

"Y-you can't be serious about it?" He started to tremble slightly and stared from one brother to the other.

 

Kíli nodded and giggled.

 

"Shall we go now?"

 

Ori shook his head in horror. "You can't enter it. This is dangerous. And besides, what if the spirit finds you first? "

 

"Well, we are three and he's alone," Fíli answered cockily.

 

"W-why thr-three?" Ori asked in a small voice.

 

"Well, because you will accompany us of course. We'll see if we can't shoo the spirit out."

 

In the end Ori had to promise the brothers that he would come along with them. They agreed to meet at midnight while all the others were already asleep. They would go into the mine together then.

 

~ * ~

 

Kíli and Fíli managed to sneak out of the house unseen, by climbing through their bedroom window. They carried a lamp and their training swords, which were unfortunately only made of wood.

 

Ori looked even paler than usual in the glow of the lamp.

 

The three crept toward the mine. It took them a while until they got there. Oddly enough, there was no guard at the entrance.

 

The three boys entered the cave, in which the mine was located.

 

The lamp they had taken with them gave only feeble light. They should have brought a second one.

 

The three spoke little and then only in a hushed voice – they wouldn’t dare to startle the ghost.

 

Deeper and deeper they entered into the cave.

 

Suddenly they heard it: a low, deep groan. Fíli, who led the way, stopped abruptly. Kíli, who didn't notice, ran into him. He swore under his breath. Ori was quiet.

 

All three listened intently. Nothing - everything was silent again. Relieved, they exhaled their breaths.

 

Fíli took Kíli's hand to urge him to move on, when they suddenly heard a slow shuffle, closely followed by another groan. This time the noise sounded much closer than before. The boys shouted out horrified – rather Fíli and Kíli screamed. Nothing was heard from Ori. Fíli almost crushed Kíli's hand and the dark-haired groped blindly behind for Ori, but he did not find him. Slowly Kíli turned his head to look around for his friend - nothing - Ori was gone. Kíli made a strangled sound, that made Fíli turn around.

 

"F-Fi," stammered Kíli. "Ori is gone." The brothers panicked.

 

"O-Ori?" Fíli cried anxiously.

 

Then, suddenly in the dark next to the brothers appeared two red glowing dots. They shone like eerie eyes - and there was the moaning again. This time it was heard directly behind the two boys and they thought they felt a hot breath brushing their necks.

 

Panicking and with a loud cry the brothers ran towards the exit. They nearly lost their lamp.

 

~ * ~

 

Fíli and Kíli only stopped when they reached their cottage. As quickly as they could they climbed through the window to their room. They still trembled as they later clung to one another in their bed. The brothers wondered anxiously what had happened to Ori - if the spirit had caught him. It was nearly dawn before the boys finally fell asleep. When Dís woke her sons, the two just startled from a nightmare.

 

 

 

And Ori?

 

He almost tipped his hand by his suppressed laughter, as the princes run away from fear.

 

Nori had stepped out of the shadows and put his arm around his younger brother's shoulders. He grinned broadly. The two glowing coals lay nearby on a stone.


	16. Snow shoveling

**Snow Shoveling**

 

The Ered Luin sank literally in snow. It had snowed so much, unlike many years before.

 

This secluded cottage where Thorin lived with his sister and her sons, was almost completely snowbound.

 

Two thickly bundled figures, barely recognizable - wearing warm jackets, scarf, hat and gloves - struggled with large shovels through the white, cold mass.

 

"This is all your fault!" Kíli scolded.

 

"Oh yeah? And who broke amad's favorite vase?" his brother retorted.

 

"Come off it! You hunted me through the whole house."

 

"But just because you once again didn't know when to stop being an idiot."

 

Above the brothers’ heads a window opened and their mother called in a strict tone,"You should shovel snow and don't argue like an old married couple!"

 

"Amad," Kíli wailed. "The path to the road is already free and we can reach the stable, too. Why are we still supposed to shovel more snow?"

 

"To work off your excessive energy in a useful way." Dís answered in a snide tone before she slammed the window shut.

 

Kíli sniffled loudly.

 

"Baby," Fíli said snarkily.

 

“Say that again," Kíli roared.

 

"Baby, baby, baby," Fíli singsonged.

 

Kíli uttered a shout of rage and the next moment Fíli was hit by a thick load of snow in the face. He puffed and blew while Kíli burst out laughing.

 

"You'll pay for that," the blond growled and immediately the dark-haired brother was struck by a cold, wet pile in the face, too.

 

"Baaah!" Kíli shivered.

 

The next batch was thrown. Kíli ducked, but wasn't fast enough. Shortly thereafter, the snowballs were flying back and forth and angry shouts turned to cheerful yelling.

 

The detention and the argument were long forgotten. The brothers tussled happily around in the snow.

 

Suddenly there was a rumbling: "Fíli! Kí-", but Thorin couldn't finish, because a fat snowball hit him right in the face.

 

"Oops", Kíli said, who had actually aimed at his brother.

 

Fili's head appeared behind a pile of snow. "Exactly Kíli - Oops!"

 

Thorin was about to start a rant, but Dwalin's booming laughter confused him and before the Dwarven Prince knew what was happening his old friend had pushed a handful of snow inside the back of his collar.

 

"Aaaah!" Thorin shivered as the ice-cold water ran down the back.

 

Now Fíli and Kíli burst into laughter, too.

 

"You just wait," Thorin growled and the next moment a thick snowball smacked Dwalin's bald head. It looked like he had a short, white mohawk.

 

Unsurprisingly this was the beginning of a wild snowball fight.

 

Sometimes it was Kíli and Fíli against Thorin and Dwalin, then Dwalin and the brothers against Thorin, then everyone against everyone and so on.

 

It wasn't long before all four were thoroughly soaked. But they didn't care. They laughed and yelled happily at each other.

 

Suddenly the door of the cottage opened and Dís stood there, her arms crossed over her chest. To drown the noise she had to shout, "WHAT IN THE NAME OF MAHAL IS GOING ON?"

 

Kíli and Fíli froze immediately at the sound of their mother's angry voice and Dwalin dropped the snowball in his hand - but not Thorin. Whether it was intentional or coincidence, he never said afterwards, but Dís was struck by a snow ball in the middle of her chest. Since the snow was only loosely compressed, it sprayed in all directions and then the icy wet ran into her cutout.

 

"IIIIII" she squeaked. "THORIN!"

 

A broad grin on Thorin's face spoke volumes.

 

Dís bent down and formed a small but extremely solid ball, which she purposefully aimed at her brother.

 

"Ouch" The Dwarf Prince gasped. She had hit his shoulder.

 

Kíli and Fíli cheered and the snowball fight started all over again.

 

Eventually Dís had enough. Even if she had also thrown snowball after snowball for awhile it was enough already.

 

She called with a stern voice: "Stop! Enough is enough! Kíli, Fíli, you need to clear the path again; look at the mess you made!” because the boys are looking rather ashamed of themselves.

 

"Oh Ama." The brothers looked crestfallen.

 

"And you two!" Now her reproachful glance met her brother and his best friend.

 

The two hung guiltily their heads. Dís always knew how to leave them looking like stupid schoolboys.

 

Dís rolled her eyes at the four gloomy figures in front of her.

 

"Oh, come on, get inside – all of you. But take off your wet clothes and get in front of the fire to warm yourselves. I don't want you to catch a cold. In the meantime I'll make you some hot tea."

 

Dís smiled broadly as Thorin, Dwalin and her sons cheered loudly at her.


	17. First hunting trip

**First hunting trip**

 

"Fee," Kíli whispered in a low voice.

 

"Hmm," his brother replied reluctantly.

 

"Fee, I can't sleep."

 

The blond made a grunting sound and turned to his dark-haired brother.

 

The brothers laid on their bedrolls on the forest ground. For the first time their uncle Thorin had taken them with him on a longer hunting trip. He was fast asleep on the other side of the camp fire, while Dwalin kept watch a few feet away.

 

"Imagine you are lying at home in your bed," Fíli muttered wearily.

 

"It doesn't work. The ground is too hard, I can feel every stone and twig and then there are crackles and rustling everywhere," Kili groused.

 

Fíli sighed. "Do you think I feel better? Try to ignore it and go to sleep."

 

"I don't know why everyone is always saying how great it is to camp in the forest." Kili grumbled. "I bet they just wanted to annoy us because they actually know how uncomfortable it is."

 

"And what shall I do now? Run back home quickly and fetch your soft blanket? "Fíli hissed, annoyed at his brother.

 

“You should be asleep by now, lads.” The brothers cringed at Dwalin's rumbling voice above them.

 

"I would, if Kíli wouldn't be so chicken-hearted."

 

"Fíli!" The dark-haired Dwarf sounded offended.

 

"Quiet, you two. Let your uncle sleep at least. Come on, take your bedrolls and come over with me." The bald dwarf walked back to his place a little apart from the warming fire.

 

Kíli trailed after Dwalin at once. Fíli hesitated just a moment, then followed his brother, too.

 

"Come on, tuck yourselves up," the old warrior muttered. Kíli gave Fíli a pleading look and the blond knew what his brother wanted. He rolled his eyes, but then he held his arms open for Kíli to snuggle against him and cover them both with one blanket.

 

For a while the boys were silent, listening to the crackling fire at their backs and the sounds of the forest, while Dwalin smoked his pipe thoughtfully.

 

Eventually Kíli asked in a soft voice, "Mister Dwalin, what do you do, to not fall asleep while keeping guard?"

 

Dwalin just coughed. At first he was silent, then he replied hesitantly, "I observe the stars."

 

"Really?" Fíli said, surprised.

 

"Well," the warrior rubbed his massive neck a bit uneasy, "I like to remember the stories that I heard as a child, how Mahal created Durin and the other six Dwarf fathers. You can see that all in the constellations." Dwalin turned to the boys who listened eagerly.

 

"Will you show us the constellations?" Kíli asked curiously and Fíli nodded in agreement.

 

Dwalin grinned.

"Very well," He stretched out his right arm and pointed in one direction. "Do you see the three stars over there forming a straight line? Extend it to the left. The bright star that seems to sparkle, this is the main star in the constellation of Durin, so to speak, his heart."

 

And Dwalin explained the constellations to the brothers and told the stories behind each of them.

 

He was so absorbed in it that he flinched as he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Startled, he turned around. Thorin stood next to him and smiled at his old friend.

 

"If I had known what a gifted storyteller you were, Dwal, I would have forced you years ago to tell the boys their bedtime stories in the evening." He chuckled and nodded in the direction of his nephews who lay there curled up together fast asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading - comments/kudos are most appreciated.


End file.
